In India, as well as internationally, the corporate world has been recognising sexual harassment as a serious issue for some time now. Many companies are providing guidance and systems that enable women employees to raise their concerns without apprehension while empowering them to raise these issues through the right channels.

People Matters spoke to Vidya Lakshmi, an Executive Vice President leading Human Resources at Wells Fargo India & Philippines, about combating sexual harassment at the workplace and how leadership commitment to a safe workplace for women makes a difference.

Leading all HR services across the two regions and overseeing implementation of country-specific labor practices and effective risk controls, Vidya Lakshmi is responsible for defining and driving the people strategy and priorities of employees in India & the Philippines, in partnership with local and global leadership.

She spent over 15 years with Goldman Sachs, where she was Head of Human Capital Management, Bengaluru, Head of HR Operations, Bengaluru, and Chief of Staff to the CEO in Bengaluru, among other roles.

Here are some excerpts:

What qualifies as harassment at the workplace?

“Sexual harassment” in the workplace may be defined as “unwelcome” sexually determined behaviour (whether directly or by implication). It includes any or all of the following: A demand or request for sexual favours, sexually coloured remarks, showing pornography, and unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature.

Today, when many of us work from home for extended periods of time, the meaning of ‘workplace’ can include the home/house/apartment/paying guest accommodation/hostel, etc. where employees are working from.

The ambit of ‘workplace’ also covers official communication channels (emails, chat rooms, or other official modes of communication) and unofficial communication channels/social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Google Meet, Instagram, Snapchat, among others, that are used by employees.

Is this a real issue in the workplace and are you seeing women report this freely?

Not just in India, but internationally as well, the corporate world has for some time now recognised sexual harassment as a serious issue. Many companies are providing the guidance and systems that enable women employees to raise their concerns without apprehension and empowering them to raise such concerns through the right channels.

Companies in India are required to comply with ‘The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013’. A well implemented policy with Internal Committees (ICs) and a zero-tolerance policy on retaliation, helps create safe spaces for women to speak about harassment.

At Wells Fargo, we have ICs constituted in each of our three locations in India, and also have an email ID where employees can anonymously raise concerns, among other measures.

Additionally, there is a zero-tolerance policy on retaliation against any employee who reports or provides information about an incident of alleged harassment in the workplace.

What holds employees back from filing a complaint when they are faced with sexual harassment? How is it changing in recent times with an increasing number of employees filing lawsuits against big names?

In general, there are taboos surrounding sexual harassment as well as the fear of being identified, penalised or ridiculed when raising such concerns.

What is important and what we do at Wells Fargo is to create awareness around the policy and the avenues to raise concerns without the fear of being intimidated or retaliated against. A strong anti-harassment policy, zero tolerance on retaliation, annual mandatory training for all employees, and having able members in the Internal Committee creates a safe environment that enables women to raise their concerns without fear.

We also train our managers and educate them to actively listen to their team members and point them in the right direction when they face any issue.

And we encourage a Speak Up culture where people feel safe to bring up issues. Further, we also have an Employee Assistance Program that employees can leverage for their physical and emotional wellbeing.

Are there broad anti-harassment policies an employee should know about? How important is anti-harassment training for employees?

‘The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013’, referenced earlier, is a very important policy that employees should be aware of. All the provisions and protections available under the Act, when implemented in spirit and letter, help ensure a safe and conducive work environment for all employees.

At Wells Fargo, these policies are easily accessible to all employees via the “Team Member Handbook” and available at identified locations on our intranet. We regularly remind our employees about these policies and the support available to them through targeted communication and training.

This helps employees recognise what constitutes sexual harassment, and guides them on how to raise such concerns through the proper channels. It also enables employees to know that there are safeguards in place that will prevent retaliation, should a concern be raised.

Measures leaders or companies should take or are required to take against sexual harassment?

Leaders must actively create the appropriate culture in the workplace. As leaders, we have the responsibility to nip any bad behavior in the bud.

It’s the small actions that contribute to creating the culture of the organisation, so we need to call out the minor transgressions and encourage and affirm good behaviour.

As leaders, we need to be active listeners, be open to being challenged and encourage open dialogue. This will help create an environment that enables women employees to feel safe, comfortable and respected.

Ultimately, it is leadership commitment to creating a safe workplace and work culture for women that makes the difference.

Responsibilities/role of employees in the prevention of sexual harassment at workplace?

All employees have the responsibility to protect the reputation and integrity of a company, and speak up in good faith about any concerns they have, including allegations of sexual harassment.

Concerns should be raised as soon as possible, even when all the facts or information associated with the concern are not available.

Companies should ensure that all employees, including managers, are prohibited from taking negative actions, such as retaliation, harassment or unprofessional behavior in response to employees speaking up in good faith. Managers must guard against negative actions by proactively watching for signs of retaliation, harassment or unprofessional behaviour.